Upcycled Wind Chime

At our Portland Art Collective picnic this month, we exchanged yard art. I had in mind making a wind chime. I went to SCRAP for inspiration on what to make. Scrap is a Portland recycling center for art supplies. Their materials change frequently depending on donations and what people purchase. The first things I saw for my wind chime were the metal knitting needles, fifteen in all in assorted sizes. The longest needles measure fifteen inches. I also found in the metal section a round grill-like piece about five inches in diameter from which to hang the needles.

I had to figure out how to hang the knitting needles from the grill. I used washers to hold the needles and drilled a couple holes on each side to wire them to the grill. The center consists of colorful beads I had on hand and a bell. The whole project cost under $10. It's fun to create something that you usually don't make.

Meditation Book Exchange Pages

I'm enjoying the calligraphy book exchange with Shelby Barrentine and Jan Kruger. Below are my June pages with a more literal take on our meditation theme. I made a stencil silhouette  for the woman meditating and printed her on my gelli plate. The background needed to be more solid for the lettering so I painted it all cerulean blue deep. Blue, the color of water, represents stillness, quiet and relaxation to me.

Contemporary Book of Hours

Last week, I attended the Focus on Book Arts Conference at Pacific University in Forest Grove. The biennial conference attracts outstanding book artists and instructors. I made this book in Carol Pallesen's workshop entitled The Contemporary Book of Hours. We painted Arches text wove pages with casein or milk-based paint. The milk protein casein acts as a pigment binder. It's non-toxic, dries quickly with a matte finish, is waterproof for layering other media and takes lettering well. The colors can be mixed and applied with several layers to get a deeper hue. When working wet on wet wonderful blooms occur. I'd use this paint again. We bound the sections in beautiful cow leather covers. I love the feel of the leather and want to make a smaller book. The book's ready for my collection of favorite poems, quotes and sayings.